University of Delaware Athletics
Delaware Overpowers UMBC 17-8 as Yezzo Belts Two Homers, Knocks in Seven Runs
4/10/2012 5:16:00 PM | Baseball
NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware baseball team clubbed 11 extra-base hits, which included three home runs as the Blue Hens outslugged the University of Maryland-Baltimore Coutny Retrievers, 17-8, on a blustery Tuesday afternoon at Bob Hannah Stadium.
For the second time in three games, Delaware (17-16) collected 15-plus runs in a game while UMBC (7-22) dropped their ninth-straight contest.
“For the first time all year we break the .500 mark and that's important in overall record, it looks better let's not lie about that,” Head Coach Jim Sherman stated. “Still, the most important thing is our conference record,” he added.
First baseman Jimmy Yezzo supplied ample offense for the Blue Hens as the sophomore went 3-for-4 with two home runs, seven RBI and three runs scored in the game. Yezzo's seven RBI were the most in a game since Steve Ulaky's tallied seven on March 22, 2011 versus Delaware State.
“He's zoned in and dropped his hands and did a little self-adjustments on his own,” Sherman commented on Yezzo's hot bat. “Sometime's the best coaching is done by yourself. He is making adjustments and doing a good job,” he continued.
UMBC got the off to a fast start in the top of the first inning when Ian Glassman reached on a leadoff single up the middle. Following a sacrifice bunt that advanced Glassman to second, Max Himmelstein lifted a fly out to right field that allowed Glassman to reach third base. Brian Klukowitz lined a RBI single to left field that plated Glassman for the first of 25 runs on the day between both clubs. After Anthony Gatto drew a two-out walk, Jason Allinder lined a two-run single to center field that cleared the bases and gave UMBC an early 3-0 lead.
A leadoff walk to DJ Long in the bottom of the first inning was followed with Brock Niggebrugge's single up the middle that moved Long to third. With runners on the corners, Yezzo lifted a sacrifice fly to left field that was deep enough for Long to tag and score the Blue Hens' first run. Alex Maruri and Nick Ferdinand loaded the bases after they were walked and hit by a pitch. With the ducks on the pond, Tyler Powel laced a RBI single to center that delivered Niggebrugge. Ryan Hartley stepped to the plate with the sacks packed and lined a two-out two-run single up the middle that put the Blue Hens ahead, 4-3.
The Blue Hens took an 8-3 lead in the second inning after Long singled up the middle and sprinted to third on Niggebrugge's double to right field. Yezzo launched a three-run home run over the right-center field fence for his second home run of the season. Cameron Travalini kept the pressure on UMBC by racing to third on a triple to the center field wall for Ferdinand, who drove in Travalini on a sacrifice fly to left.
In the bottom of the third inning, Ty Warrington hammered a one-out double down the left-field line. Warrington would tag up and advance to third on a fly out before scoring on fielding error by UMBC's third baseman, Curtis Schickner, on a Niggebrugge groundball that extended Delaware's lead to six, 9-3.
UMBC would add runs in the top of the fourth and sixth with a Jake Barnes sacrifice fly and Allinder RBI single that would bring the Retrievers within four runs, 9-5.
Delaware would seize an eight-run edge, 13-5, in the bottom of the sixth inning when Niggebrugge slugged a leadoff double to left field. Yezzo added a RBI single up the middle that drove home Niggebrugge. After a wild pitch moved Yezzo to second base and Maruri drew another walk, Ferdinand lined a RBI double to center that plated Yezzon while Maruri sprinted to third. Powell singled to left field that scored Maruri and Ferdinand.
Long smashed a home run to leadoff the bottom of the seventh inning over the left-fied fence for his fourth of the season. Niggebrugge followed with a double to left field and advanced to third on a pass ball. Yezzon connected on his second home run of the game and third of the season with a two-run blast over the right-field wall as the Blue Hens took a 16-5 lead.
Hartley added a leadoff double in the the bottom of the eighth inning, advanced to third on a groundout to the right side and came home on Long's sacrifice fly for the Blue Hens' final run, 17-5.
The Retrievers fought to the final out and tacked on three runs that made the score 17-8 in the top of the ninth inning on a RBI double by Schickner and a run-scoring single by Himmelstein.
Dan Gatto (3-2) earned the victory for the Blue Hens as the right-hander scattered five runs (four earned) on seven hits, two walks and five strikeouts over 5.1 innings on the mound.
Eric Buckland tossed 2.2 scoreless innings of relief for Delaware and held the Retrievers to one hit, one walk and collected one strikeout.
UMBC's Jon Cobo (0-1) suffered the loss for the Retrievers as the freshman left-hander could not register one out in the second inning after he surrendered seven earned runs on six hits and two walks.
The University of Delaware baseball team will add to the win collumn in their non-conference schedule tomorrow, April 11, as the Blue Hens travel to Merion Station, Pa. to square of with the St. Joseph's University Hawks. UD will hand the ball to right-hander Matt Soren (0-4, 11.37 ERA) while SJU counters right-hander Brett Koliani (0-0, 2.45 ERA) as the action begins at 3 p.m. at SJU's Maguire Campus Baseball Field.
